“She has a softer side!”

Maureen Lipman tells us that there’s more to Evelyn than meets the eye…

What attracted you to the role of Evelyn?

I met with the producer, Kate Oates, and I got a bit of the background story and saw a couple of the scripts. I felt it would be a challenge!

Was the comedy of the story what interested you?

Well, a battleaxe is something the British public seems to like. There isn’t much comedy in the actual storyline, but the lines are dry. In a way, you put your own personality into it.

Have you based Evelyn on anyone in particular?

There’s a little of someone who I know! And most of my aunts and my father, who were very dry in their humour.

Did you have much input into Evelyn’s look?

I pinned up my hair into something slightly oldfashioned. She’s very much stuck in the past. Her clothes are of someone who’s always after a bargain. She’s put her hair into victory rolls which isn’t something people do now.

What sort of relationship does Evelyn have with Tyrone and Fiz?

Fiz doesn’t stand a chance! No one was ever going to be good enough for Tyrone – not that Evelyn thinks he is good enough either! But she has a grudging liking for this boy and she thinks the woman he’s with is boring. Evelyn sets out to drive Fiz away, by being ungracious and critical and driving a wedge between them.

She has a dog, Cerberus – are you a dog lover?

Yes, I love dogs – I have two at home – and the one who plays Cerberus is lovely. It’s the one relationship where you see Evelyn’s softer side.

Has Corrie changed since you were last in it?

When I was last here [in 2002], there were only four episodes a week and now there are six. There is something very comforting about coming back up north. Everyone’s been so friendly and patient, and made sure I know where I should be.